“Ideas worth spreading,” boasts the tagline of TED, a global, nonprofit organization that hosts conferences where individuals hold twenty minute “talks” on topics spanning technology, education, and design, just to name a few. By handing the microphone to individuals and their stories, TED’s global mission is to give a platform to ideas that could change the world.

This year, Olivia O’Donnell ’18 will be giving a TEDx talk called “Changing the Narrative: Why Racism Continues to Plague the USA” on April 28th at Wilmington Friends School. TEDx events, such as the one Olivia will be attending, are independently-run events organized by local volunteers. I sat down with Olivia to ask her about the upcoming event.

Q: Tell me about your TEDx talk. What’s it going to be about? Why does it matter?

A: My talk will be about our country’s history with racism and why it’s part of our narrative. At a basic level, I am a proponent of equality for all. To see such rampant inequalities occur without people batting an eye is extremely disheartening to me. To be judged so harshly and have your life in danger just because of your skin color, which is something you can’t prevent, and is something that makes no difference: that bothers me.

Q: One important aspect of the TEDx talk is that it draws from the experience of an individual, highlighting a single perspective to shed new light on an issue. What can your perspective bring to your topic that’s new?

A: I know I’m not black, so I’m not affected by racism, because I’m part of the race that perpetuates it (even if I don’t personally). However, being white and young, I feel that it’s a different perspective, because a lot of people who have these race conversations are mostly people of color trying to say, “Listen, this is a problem.” It’s not they’re voiceless, but rather that other people don’t listen. I recently wrote a Whittier article about Parkland and gun reform. At the time, there was a lot of conversation happening about this topic, but people were asking: why is it different at Parkland, when kids are gunned down, but when our children –black children who have been shot for years, and who also led peaceful, nonviolent marches– speak up, why aren’t they having that platform? You have to ask yourselves, why? These kids didn’t do anything different; they’re just like the kids in Parkland. No one should be dying. So I think that when it comes from a white person, it’s easier for white people to spread that message. By no means am I saying, “this is how you end racism.” But I feel that I have a different perspective as a white young person.

Q: So why did you choose TEDx as a platform for your message?

A: I’ve always wanted to give a TEDx Talk. That became a goal of mine as soon as I watched people online talk and gain momentum on stage. It’s such a respected platform; I know when I give my talk, my message will be well-received.

Q: How easy is it to become a TEDx speaker? What challenges or preparation did you go through?

A: I submitted an application which took quite a while, but was relatively easy. I had to submit a bio about myself, and a one-minute video of myself talking about my idea. The process was actually very easy, but 150 people applied and only 24 people got it, so it’s not guaranteed you’ll be able to do it. There are so many different events where you can speak in Wilmington alone, so if you don’t get one, you can always find a way. I think the process is relatively easy for what you’re getting out of it.

Q: Did you know immediately what you wanted to speak about?

A: I originally was unsure, because you see all these talks with cool leitmotifs and everything and it’s a bit intimidating. So I said, okay, these are the things I’m passionate about, so how do I incorporate that into a meaningful talk? To start out, I jotted down a couple of ideas on paper, but I ultimately settled on racism, because that’s what I wanted to do.

Q: In what ways did your Friends education help you arrive at this point?

A: I can remember vividly in 10th grade history, when we were talking about slavery, our teacher Mr. Morton showed us a video of a Harvard graduate who gave a short, eloquent speech, and his main point was: slavery is different in America. And I’ve always kept that in the back of my mind. Like, why is slavery –an awful thing for an individual to have to go through, let alone a whole group of people trafficked, dehumanized, tortured, and beaten– but why is it so weird talking about slavery in our country? That speech was really enlightening to me, and remained in the back of my mind. So when I was thinking about the TEDx Talk, I thought that might be a really cool idea to draw from.

Q: What do you hope people walk away with after hearing you speak?

A: I think it’s easy to be disheartened, and I just want to emphasize that if we work diligently and genuinely, there can be a difference. It makes a difference if people say, “You know what, that joke you said was racist. Please don’t do that, even if it was in a joking manner, because that perpetuates racism, whether or not you think so.” Just being able to say, “I can do something, even if it’s small, and maybe that person will change their mind and not tell racist jokes anymore,” makes a difference. Any small thing can really make a difference.

Q: Any final worries?

A: I just finalized my words, so I hope they’re approved, but I’m just worried I’ll forget something– that’s terrifying! It’s being videotaped and put online, so you don’t want to make a mistake, especially after you’ve worked so hard. So I’m really practicing, practicing, practicing, so that it’s ingrained in my brain forever.

Q: And how long will practicing your TEDx talk take?

A: I estimate that memorizing all ten minutes will take over ten hours!

Q: Any advice for any future Friends students who might be interested in doing something similar?

Veganism is defined as “the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.” The largest animal rights’ organization group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, otherwise known as PETA claims, “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any way.” While a vegetarian is somebody who does not consume meat or fish, a vegan is someone who does not consume meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, or honey. Vegans also do not wear fur, purchase products that were tested on animals, or support the use of animals for entertainment. While a vegan diet and lifestyle might seem restrictive, the demand for plant-based products is undeniably increasing every day. As more people are jumping onto the plant-based bandwagon, veganism is already becoming more popular and realistic in 2018.

In January, a registered charity called “Veganuary” encouraged people to become vegan for the month of January, which would hopefully inspire them to continue beyond the month. Veganuary first launched in 2014, where 3,300 people signed up. Over 100,000 people pledged to go vegan this past January. This only confirms the increased interest in veganism, as more restaurants and supermarkets must respond to this new demand for plant-based products. The Veganuary coordinators encouraged people to go vegan this past January to help reduce the suffering of billions of animals, protect the environment, and find delicious and nutritious vegan recipes. The Veganuary official website also includes a surplus of helpful resources, such as a vegan starter kit, vegan recipes, a guide to eating out, and educated responses to vegan myths.

Most people go vegan for three main reasons: the animals, the environment, and health. The Veganuary official website includes background information about these three reasons and provides evidence that a plant-based diet is nutritionally abundant. Many people believe that being vegan means having an automatic deficiency in protein. However, beans, soy products, lentils, nuts, and seeds are all packed with plant-based proteins that will make people feel energized and satiated without all of the extra animal fats. In Dr. Michael Greger’s book, “How Not to Die,” the plant-based doctor correlates animal products to the foremost causes of death in the United States, including the leading killer of Americans: heart disease.

There are innumerable resources that prove a vegan diet is one of the most ethical, affordable, and efficient way of living. For example, in the documentary, “Cowspiracy,” filmmaker Kip Anderson asks environmental companies about how people can help save the environment. To his surprise, nobody mentioned animal agriculture, which scientifically is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emission. One of the largest issues regarding animal agriculture is people’s lack of communication regarding its repercussions, especially people in the large corporate organizations.

Not only is veganism becoming more prevalent worldwide, but it has also become more prevalent in Wilmington Friends School. The student-run club “Ethical Eats” was established in September and strives to teach students about leading a vegan lifestyle. The club partners with the largest animal rights youth group, peta2 (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to provide information packets, posters, stickers, and recipes. Ethical Eats has also partnered with the school cafeteria, which now offers vegan macaroni and cheese, vegan cookies, and vegan coffee creamer. Emma Davis ’18, who has been a vegetarian for ten years and is a member of the club, commented on how her diet impacts her life from an ethical standpoint: “What I love about being a vegetarian is that I am not only helping my diet, but I am also helping animals. Standing back helped me learn about how we torture and hurt animals, and I love that I am not participating in this cruel act.” Ethical Eats encourages non-vegans to join club meetings, and a large amount of people attended the club’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day presentation. Club member Natalie DePaulo ’18 shared, “Although I’m not actually vegan, I have found it really interesting to learn about veganism and its benefits through my membership in Ethical Eats.”

While veganism and health-related issues are becoming more prevalent in the upper school, it is also incorporated into the middle school curriculum. Stephanie Knudsen, Middle School English and Social Studies teacher, integrates the environmental benefits of veganism in her courses. Eighth graders watch “Food, Inc.,” a documentary that shows how food is produced, as well as read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” a nonfiction book that focuses on the standard American diet and how food makes its way onto people’s plates. Knudsen commented, “I started teaching The Omnivore’s Dilemma after Mr. Hanson, Mrs. Horikawa and I went to the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. We created an interdisciplinary Food Unit. (The English department also wanted to incorporate more nonfiction.) It’s not my goal to create vegetarians or vegans, but I have found that–when confronted with the environmental impact of eating meat–some students have decided to change their habits.” Although not everybody will change their diets to incorporate more plant foods, it is still important to be aware of how food is produced.

While veganism is clearly becoming more attainable, it still does take commitment and determination. Knudsen added, “I find that being “whole-food, plant-based” (my term of choice) is both easier and harder than it used to be. Easier because restaurants tend to have vegan options, but still hard because it takes a lot of shopping and cooking if you are trying to avoid processed food. That is why I fail repeatedly! And because I can’t seem to give up cheese!” Following a plant-based diet is not about being perfect; it is about learning what works best for individuals and finding simple and efficient ways to prepare delicious and nutritious food. Many people who want to go vegan actually start their journey by cutting out certain animal products step by step. It is a learning process that embraces imperfections – there is no need to cut out all animal products cold-tofurkey (although that is what works best for some people)!

With vegan celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Miley Cyrus, as well as vegan activists such as Joey Carbstrong and Earthling Ed, more people are becoming inspired to adopt a more plant-based diet. Whether it is for the animals, health, or the environment, veganism is more than a diet: it is a lifestyle that encompasses compassion. For more information on animal rights, please watch the documentary, “Earthlings” on Youtube. To learn more about environmental factors, please watch “Cowspiracy,” and for more information on health benefits, please watch “What the Health,” which are both available on Netflix. The main point of veganism is not to judge others, but rather to inform and encourage people to learn more about where food comes from.

It appears as though no stone has been left unturned in discerning Mr. Trump’s capacity to govern the United States of America as president: time and time again, he has shown himself to be an inept leader who incites his base with crude, racial rhetoric and reforms. And time, as if a great magnifying glass, sharpens the blurriness of cause and effect, illuminating motives and tactics that allowed the demagogue to ascend the presidential throne. Trump, although incompetent and civically unaware, cunningly played on a decades-long public mistrust of the media by stirring up a witch hunt aimed at its annihilation. With 46% of voters believing that the media fabricates stories about the president, disenchantment seems to be synonymous with popular news outlets.

With an increasing divide between the public and credible news sources, where is information acquired? Relatives, Facebook friends, or is it completely disregarded–the truth ostracized as emotion takes its turn at bat? This wariness regarding reputable media organizations marks more than just a lingering suspicion: it indicates a growing disregard for truthful information, which therefore contributes to widespread voter ignorance. And if voters cannot discern between fact and fiction, how can they be trusted to vote for a candidate running to be the president of the U.S.?

Ascertaining a solution to this dilemma of incompetence may potentially take its cue from a national education initiative, wherein every voter must participate in a mandatory civic literacy test before each local and national election. The result is as follows: only the civically competent voters would be able to cast their ballot while those who failed would be prohibited from having a say. The test, which would cover the fundamentals of civic education, ensures that voters are equipped to participate in electoral politics; undeniably, voter education allows for one to exercise his or her political will through the electoral process. Without a proper foundation, voters may face a lack of preparation or motivation to participate in the U.S.’s democratic system, allowing the threat of unqualified representation to settle in its wake.

Unfortunately, while this approach might effectively contribute to an increased civic education, it is not without its flaws. Firstly, the purpose of this test would be to establish a firm foundation of civic awareness, which possibly entails time being spent studying in order to pass the test. Those without access to the internet, books, or an adequate schooling would consistently face barriers that inhibit their educational experience, as opposed to those with access to the aforementioned resources. Also, introducing such a test might be seen as a roadblock; instead of locating the detour route, one might decide that the time and energy needed is outweighed by pre-existing commitments–and turn back towards home. Logistically, such a test would likely result in a diminished voter turnout with a myriad of factors preventing one from showing up at the ballot box, thus opting out of the voting process altogether. Hence, it is inherently anti-democratic as all eligible members of the population may not pass, or spend the time trying to pas, the test and as a result must refrain from the process of electing representatives.

The circulation of a mandatory test could weed out the civically illiterate, but the result would compromise the nation’s democratic values. In assessing the country’s current need of civic education, it is clear that more citizens need to develop their understanding of the government and the electoral process. Yet, the voting process is just one of the means in which citizens may participate in the democracy. Voters and citizens should also be encouraged to engage in political processes routinely. If each person makes a concerted effort to advance his or her civic knowledge, then the problem of widespread civic illiteracy may no longer plague the nation.

Do WFS students intend to participate in Greek life in college? The results from a school poll are in: a nearly exact three-way tie between “yes,” “no,” and “maybe.” Read Columnist Cecilia Ergueta’s and Entertainment Writer Emma Landis’ cases for why students should– or should not– consider going Greek.

Case For Greek Life

Emma Landis

Greek life is one of the most criticised parts of many colleges. While many people hold reservations about greek life, it also brings many advantages and can heighten any person’s college experience. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but there are many common misconceptions surrounding greek life.

Nearly ⅓ of Wilmington Friends’ current student body answered a survey saying they were planning on participating in greek life once at college. However, these test results must be taken with a grain of salt. Drew Pittenger ‘16, who attends Penn State and is in ‘Triangle’ fraternity, commented on frat life, saying “I never thought it was for me, I thought it would be a distraction from my schoolwork and I was worried about hazing”. Although this is many people’s first impression of greek life, there’s a lot more to it– Pittenger then said “I changed my mind when I saw my fraternity at the involvement fair… I went to the house for an event and saw that it was really just a bunch of good friends hanging out. Some of the other guys rushing turned out to be some of my best friends, and it turns out greek life isn’t as scary as I thought it would be”. Pittenger clearly loves being involved in greek life at Penn State, and believes that it can be for many types of different people.

While Pittenger enjoys his frat, he is also aware of the toxic parts. He explained his experience like this: “There’s some chapters at every school that are full of people who exclusively party and haze, and they’re definitely a big problem… The media likes to grab onto the bad parts of greek life– which are rare– and it gives everyone a bad impression of greek life as a whole. Most of the time it’s a group of friends who enjoy spending time with each other and helping each other out”. Pittenger seems to have a good grasp on the common ideas of greek life, and is a big fan. Moreover, often times fraternities and sororities are the biggest fundraisers for causes that their school is involved with. While greek life can be exclusive at times, many schools have a wide range of groups in which everyone can find their ‘people’.

Case Against Greek Life

Cecilia Ergueta

To the one-third of WFS students who “maybe” want to engage in Greek life in college: Don’t! Before you roll your eyes, listen why some of the apparent reasons to go Greek lead to good reasons not to.

“Going Greek is all about charity and service” True; each year, fraternities and sororities raise millions of dollars for worthy causes. At the same time, they perpetrate crimes against their own members. From the beginning, many Greek initiation rituals center around “hazing”, or activities expected of new members which are degrading, abusive, humiliating, or endangering. This could be seniors “punching and kicking juniors and covering them in urine, feces, pig intestines, fish guts, coffee grounds… [shooting] juniors with paintballs and [forcing] meat down a vegetarian’s throat.” It could also be one of the many stories in which hazing literally becomes deadly, as has been the case every single year since 1970. This only covers initiation. Throughout the rest of the year, men who join fraternities are three times more likely to rape, while women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience rape than their non-Greek peers. Clearly these abuses are not single-instance cases, but systematic. But after each new incident explodes across the media, Greek life retains its grip. How? National Greek organizations have devised a legal and financial framework that allows them to blame the recurring problems on a few “bad apples”, who are expelled, and sometimes go to jail, while the national organization simply starts a new chapter and everything continues as before. The Greek system condones and perpetuates an often criminally dangerous mentality.

“Pledging means joining lifelong friendships.” Let’s define that “friendship.” “Rushing,” the period in which fraternities and sororities select who will join their houses, often consists of a scrutinizing selection of “pledges” based on how much money they’ll be expected to give the house, their attractiveness, and their compatibility with existing members. The end result is frequently a house exerting crippling social conformity on its members: to dress the same, look the same, act the same. Katy Shannon ’17, current freshman at College of William and Mary, attests to the emphasis on appearances in “rushing”: “All of the girls I know who rushed spent a full hour before leaving getting dressed up in full faces of makeup, elegant hair (not an easy feat in the humidity of the swamp) and beautiful expensive dresses, every single day.” Unsurprisingly, sorority girls are more likely to suffer from body image issues and dysfunctional eating behaviors than peers. Some critics, like Mary Agne ’18, reject Greek life on the basis that “it’s basically paying for your friends.” Beyond the substantially higher lodging fees, the deeper cost may be in your self-esteem and individuality.

“Greek connections will be the most important ones for your future career.” The networking benefits are undeniable. Already half of the top 10 Fortune 500 CEOs are fraternity men; brothers/ sisters are scattered among all rungs of the professional ladder to lend a helping hand. But let’s return for a moment to the Greek recruitment process, which selects its members based on “compatibility” with the house. How do you detect “compatibility”? One way is by the designer labels on a pledge’s clothes, suggesting a fat bank account. Or by his family name, which bespeaks power and influence. Or it could be by his religion, or the color of her skin. One white sorority at the University of Alabama has only ever knowingly pledged a single black student. “I see Greek life as a way for those with the time, money, and dedication to have access to a unique college opportunity, that not everyone wants or can join despite what some people may say,” shared Shannon ’17.“Generally it’s rich and white people who end up sticking with it.” Powerful Greek connections can help young graduates rise professionally, but at the cost of perpetuating socio-economic divides. To the undecided 33%: many of you could profit from this system. But do you really want to?

Everyone deserves a voice. In recent years, proper representation of the diverse population of the U.S. in the media is an issue that has been receiving an increased amount of attention from Hollywood and other entertainment outlets. Now, more than ever, previously marginalized groups are demanding (and in some cases, receiving) places in television, film, and other media. One such group is the LGBTQ+ community, and while significant steps have been taken to address this issue, is it enough? Strong voices in the WFS community share their thoughts.

The members of the WFS student body, while acknowledging there has been progress, believe drastic improvement is still required. “I don’t think that there is enough LGBTQ+ representation in entertainment media,” says Hareena Houston ’18, “there is the token character in a few shows, but they are few and far between. A lot of the representation that LGBTQ+ have is very static, and tends to fit the character in one box.” Her thoughts were echoed by Tim Arnold ’18 when he was asked if there was enough representation of the LGBTQ+ community in entertainment media: “Overall, no. There needs to be more representation, and the way that community is represented needs to change. From what I see, all of the shows/characters are centered around their sexual/gender identity, not just who they are more generally. I think that by focusing on this, their image is skewed to one where they are either plot devices or political statements as opposed to people.” Arnold stresses the impact of these current portrayals; it is not just enough to include a “token character,” as Houston mentioned, but portray them in a way that doesn’t perpetuate stereotypes. “If you’re going to represent a certain group of people, make sure it’s done realistically,” Jesse Parker ’19 agrees, “incorporate life as it is, focus on the main group of people before jumping into all the little petty subcategories. And remember that the [LGBTQ+] community is already a laughing stock. Don’t make it more of one. Please!” Sophia Marrone ’21 commented on the progress made for LGBTQ+ rights, while still noting the vast room for development: “I think that there isn’t enough representation of LGBTQ+ in media. Sure, we have reached a time where people can get married to who they want, but we still haven’t gotten over representation in [movies and television]. Also, social media, like YouTube, still allows anyone to be entertainers, but for movies, TV, and music, people have to be approved. I think to help fix this problem, directors and music producers should be open to all people.”

Voices of the WFS community not only criticise the lack of representation, but emphasize the importance of this issue. “I think that we need to step outside of the box and find TV shows that allow for the growth of LGBTQ+ characters. We also need to bring awareness to the issue and facilitate discussions. It’s important because there are kids that grow up thinking that they are different or wrong because they don’t see anyone like them on TV,” said Houston, highlighting the cultural impacts of the problem. Marrone’s perspective overlaps: “this is all important to make sure that everyone is equal and more people can feel better about being LGBTQ+ and to have role models.” The lessons that underrepresentation indirectly promotes to America’s youth can be detrimental to their self-esteem and sexual/gender development. Aside from the damage that can be done by a lack of representation, it is also imperative to note the potential impact proper representation can have. “In my mind, the way to acceptance and celebration is by demonstrating how we, as humans, are similar to each other and how we go through similar struggles,” says Arnold, “familiarity with the unknown always makes us less afraid of what we don’t understand, and, now at least, the representation of that community makes it easy to deny them as being just like you and me and label them for something that is only a part of who they are.”

The shared sentiment of the WFS community is not only that the LGBTQ+ community is underrepresented, but that it is the responsibility of entertainment providers to address this issue that can have potential impacts on American youth and culture. It’s about more than laughing at a sitcom or gasping at a drama; there is tremendous power in what we give our attention to, and it is crucial that we ensure it’s used properly.

Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi was one of the most anticipated films of 2017. The movie was immediately met with mixed reviews. Riding off the hype of the incredibly popular Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, following the relatable and inspiring characters of Finn and Rey, Star Wars VIII was set up to have a strong viewer base, including many members of the WFS community.

As one of the highest-rated movies, and the third most-watched movie of 2017, Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi was an undoubtedly successful and universally popular film. Many critics praised Disney’s new direction of Star Wars. James Tallman ‘19, shared this positive perspective on Disney’s fresh take on the Star Wars series, saying: “I thought it was the best Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes Back. While The Force Awakens was a seemingly formulaic remake of what fans loved from IV-VI, The Last Jedi is taking the franchise in new directions. Altogether, the acting was phenomenal. The chemistry between Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley pulled me into the movie and is setting up for an epic resolution to the next installment of the trilogy. While many fans did not like how this story handled plot lines set up by J J Abrams’ take on the franchise, I think that this movie ultimately understood what Star Wars is. It is a story about people — merely set in space.”

Despite some praise, some viewers left theatres with a more critical opinion of the movie. Peter Cauchy, class of ‘19 said that he “thought it was a good movie,” but “disliked the plot holes” and that there was “too much that wasn’t clear.” These thoughts were echoed by Simon Wakeley ‘19, “While I feel like Star Wars VIII created a good hype for Star Wars IX, unfortunately, [the character development] made plot holes in this movie.” Some of the Star Wars episode’s cringe-worthy scenes were blatantly protrusive throughout the film. This included a widespread dislike of Princess Leia’s infamous “flying scene,” in which the character (thought to be dead at this point) is seen floating through space and back into her ship; many believed the scene added nothing to the story and was ridiculous. A second example includes Kylo Ren’s shirtless scene (which is self-explanatory), which was pretty unforgettable for most, and later became immortalized as a meme. The scene was uncomfortable, and, as Michael McKenzie ‘19 said, it was “weird and unnecessary,” not really following in the iconic footsteps of the original trilogy.

With positive and negative reactions to the new direction of Star Wars, The Last Jedi drew enormous crowds and provided a set-up for the next installment in the series. With dozens of new ideas to work with, and plenty of viewer feedback, Disney should be poised to start a create an iconic and dramatically satisfying conclusion to a beloved film saga.

The quality of water fountains in the Wilmington Friends School community has been a flowing topic of conversation for years. Students find themselves wondering, where can we best quench our thirst? What is the best water fountain? What is the worst? This article will provide a full comprehensive review of all of the major water fountains in the school based on the following criteria: taste, temperature, stream size, and stream pressure. In recent years, major work has been done to enhance some water fountains, and the student body greatly appreciates these efforts. For instance, the school recently installed two new water fountains, one in the middle school, the other outside of the library, which have revolutionized water drinking methods. In addition to the normal drinking nozzle, there is a water bottle filler which counts how many bottles have been filled. With over ten thousand water bottles filled filled, this new addition is not only practical, but also has a positive environmental impact by reducing the amount of new bottles used. Students who have attended Friends for multiple years may remember the poor stream quality from the water fountains outside of the auditorium, but this too has changed. Drew Pittenger ’16 recognized the problem and decided to take action and get this issue solved. In 2014, Pittenger presented the problem to the agenda committee that the water fountain had been broken since he came to the school as a Kindergartner and he was now a sophomore. After about a month, the problem was resolved and the fountain was fixed.

Water enthusiast James Tallman ’19 offered these comments about the water, “I believe that the water fountains in this school have such huge differences. It is all about finding the one that suits what you like and what you need. I prefer the water fountain outside of the physics room, but many people have their own tastes.” Tallman concluded that the water fountains need to be more studied in the hopes that each water fountain that was previously deemed the best will get less traffic. One relatively unknown secret is that the faculty have their own water dispenser(different than a fountain) in the faculty lounge where staff use cups and can fill their own water bottles. Since a report was being conducted on the schools water fountains, it was imperative that testing this new source of water was added on the list. This source blew all other samples out of the water! Tallman was fortunate enough to also sample this treasured water and commented this: “I have tasted the faculty water and it tastes like cool liquid gold.” Chemistry teacher and head of science department, Mark Schmittle, concurs and adds, “I’ve tasted a lot of the water from fountains in the school and I feel that the Quench water dispenser in the downstairs faculty workroom is the best tasting water, and far better than the water that gets dispensed from the new bottle dispensers at the water fountains. The worst water is from the old water fountain located just outside Mrs. Johnson’s room.

Perhaps this special fountain is one of the perks of being a WFS faculty member. Drink on!

Half the Sky is the gender equality club at Wilmington Friends School. According to Half the Sky clerk Bella Stuccio ’19, “It (Half the Sky) is about bringing all genders to a stance of justice.” The young women and men in this club typically discuss current events involving gender equality, and while these topics typically revolve around women, many relate to men as well.

Half the Sky was founded by Jodi Lessner ’16 during her sophomore year at Friends. In 2015, Lessner did a TEDx talk on feminism where she talked about the stigma around the word feminist. During the video, she argued that “to identify as a feminist simply means to identify as someone who believes in equality between the genders.” She also talked about the sexualization of women in the media and the negative effects it has on young girls, the stereotyping of women, and the lack of women in high positions in the government. Lessner finished by challenging the audience to fight gender inequality in their everyday lives.

The club is currently sponsored by Kathryn Kenney, WFS English teacher, and is run by students, Stuccio and Mary Agne ’18. The student clerks bring articles, stories, videos or other “artifacts,” as Kenney refers to them, to discuss with the group. These artifacts may come from American culture or other cultures from around the world. The discussion is open to everyone, but it is led by the clerks who ask the questions and add their own input as well.

Half the Sky is engaged in a variety of different activities. During their first meeting after the winter break, Half the Sky watched Oprah Winfrey’s speech from Golden Globe Awards and discussed the Time’s Up movement; during another meeting they wrote letters to local politicians to remind them of their responsibility to the people.

While this club is mostly discussion based, it also works closely with an organization called Beads for Life. This foundation provides opportunities for Ugandan women living in poverty to sell paper beads and to learn about business so that they will be able to support themselves in the long term. The Beads for Life sale took place during the Winter Concert in the Java Nook last December, and as of now they do not plan on having another event for Beads for Life. All of the money from the event is sent to Beads for Life women.

It is important to note that Half the Sky welcomes all genders, not just girls. James Tallman ’19 stated that “Feminism is about equality, not about one side being better than the other. It is good to have the male perspective presented because these are issues that affect us all.” The best way to gain equality between the genders is by having representatives from all of the various gender types working together towards a common goal. When asked why this club is relevant to Wilmington Friends School and in general, Kenney responded, “It is a very relevant topic. It’s something that is changing traditions that are a melinia old. It is difficult, but also making changes that will promote equality in the future.” Half the Sky is working to break down gender stereotypes, bring women to a position of power, and provide equal opportunities for all.

As of right now, the club is planning and discussing new events to do for the rest of the year in order to get the entire school more involved. One possibility is another fundraiser to support women and girls in need. If interested, the club meets on Day 3 with great topics planned for discussion.

On October 3rd, 2017, Anthony Penna, a junior at Archmere Academy, passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident on September 29. In honor of Anthony, the Penna family created a charity to support many of the programs that Anthony had enjoyed. Schools around the state have joined together to show support, and now, members of our school community have formed a club to raise awareness of this new local charity.

One goal of the Anthony Penna Foundation is to support music and theatre arts in the local community. The charity began this task by supporting Archmere and Saint Edmund’s Academy, although more schools will be included as the Foundation’s influence increases. The foundation is in honor of Anthony Penna, an avid musician and singer, who sang in Archmere’s Mastersingers, was a member of his church’s choir, and an inspiration to many of those around him. This charity has slowly gained traction within Wilmington, with many local school clubs, sports teams, and choirs supporting the Penna Foundation and the Penna family in their own small ways.

Recently, the #PennaStrong club was formed by Sean Brady ’20. The goal of this group is mainly to show their support for the up and coming charity, on behalf of our school and our Friends community. This club involves planning and organizing fundraisers to aid the Penna Foundation. It’s a challenge to organize and prioritize the club, but for Brady, “I found it really important for somebody to take this on and really help the [Anthony Penna Foundation] on behalf of the Friends School.” He hopes that the advent of this club will spread awareness for the new foundation, and encourage others to get more involved as well.

Many other students and staff have given support to this club and foundation. Susan Kampert, the faculty sponsor of the club, has shown her appreciation for what this club is doing for the grieving but resolute family; “When a family loses a child, I think there’s a point where people remember that person but then lives get busy and move on,” she says. “I think that, by the Penna family establishing this foundation, and trying to make just the community better as a result of losing their son … shows tremendous support, and I think by our school getting involved will show them how much we care.” Una Winn ’19 also joined the club, with a similar reason; “I think it’s important to support our community right now. [The Penna’s] are all going through something so hard that I think we could imagine how we would feel in that situation, and we would want others to come forward to help us and support us.” The dedication of members like these helps the club and organization get up on their feet.

Recently, on February 2nd, PennaStrong held their first fundraiser for the organization. Students could, for just two dollars, buy a Penna foundation laptop sticker, a bumper sticker, and a Penna Foundation bracelet that signifies a dress down day on a to-be-determined date. The fundraiser was a big success; due to the enthusiastic response of the student body, almost 100 bracelets were sold and almost $200 were raised. It was successful enough to continue the fundraiser into Monday. The members are hopeful that the club and its message are now on students’ radars. This is the first in a number of fundraisers for the Penna Foundation.

The Anthony Penna Foundation is small and still struggling to flourish. However, its inspiration and objectives towards aiding local music and theatre arts programs are universal, and as a response to an awful accident it is very heartening. Support like that from PennaStrong and other groups will strengthen and entrench the newfound charity into our Delaware community.

]]>https://www.wfswhittier.com/2427/features/wfs-supporting-the-anthony-penna-foundation/feed/0WFS Sends Two Teams to the National History Bowlhttps://www.wfswhittier.com/2424/news/wfs-sends-two-teams-to-the-national-history-bowl/
https://www.wfswhittier.com/2424/news/wfs-sends-two-teams-to-the-national-history-bowl/#respondWed, 28 Mar 2018 18:48:07 +0000https://www.wfswhittier.com/?p=2424

On Saturday January 6th, fifty WFS students participated in the Regional History Bowl tournament. This competition is designed to test the breadth of their historical knowledge in small teams of four to six. During the day, teams compete against other students from the Mid-Atlantic region and try to accumulate the most points and wins to carry them to the national tournament. This year two teams made it to nationals: Team A, which consisted of Alex Patterson ’18, Cecilia Ergueta ’18, Lucy Knudsen ’19, and Jake Morris ’18, as well as Team B, which consisted of Mike Coons ’18, Jack Coons ’18, Robert Baldwin, and Dalton Ramsey ’18.

Participants can be asked any range of questions from ancient history to recent history, in the several rounds that compose an average History Bowl match. There are four rounds to the competition. In the first round, whichever team answers first gets the points. The second is the same as the first, but there is an option to get a bonus question if the team gets the answer right. The third round is the lightning round and each team has to answer ten questions in under a minute. Finally, the fourth round has a descending point system whereas the question is read, the number of points possible decreases until the question is done be read out loud. The variation of the different rounds leads to different strategies and excitement as students get to test their knowledge and skills in different formats.

The National History Bowl organization was founded in 2011 by history buff and entrepreneur, David Madden. Madden was familiar with Quizbowl-style tournament play and sought to create a similar opportunity to compete based on historical questions. Javier Ergueta, WFS history teacher, has been involved since the beginning. Ergueta commented, “I read about it and at that point I took a team of students to the only regional tournament there was at the time and we had to travel two hours to go to central Pennsylvania. We enjoyed it and continued to do it for several years.” Ergueta remarked that there were two factors that contributed to his continued involvement with the organization: he thought it was a great opportunity for students at the school and his kids, Cecilia Ergueta ’18 and Emilio Ergueta ’16, were interested in it from a young age.

Ergueta commented that he and his teams would usually end up going to the national tournament, and it was during one of these years that Madden approached Ergueta and asked if he would be interested in hosting a tournament at WFS. This initiative was proposed to the school and the history department, who saw it as a way of lowering the economic barrier to kids due to cost of admission because they could send 15-25 kids for free and an easy way to get more people interested. Instead of driving several hours to the closest regional tournament, interested WFS students would just have to drive the distance they come to school every day.

The department’s goal of lowering costs and raising interests was met with success. In recent years as many as 10 teams have participated and this year, as the Wilmington Friends Facebook page posted, “WFS fielded over 50 students and 12 teams, a school record.” This demonstrates how participation has been steadily climbing in recent years, and Ergueta hopes that it will continue to do so. He attributes the success of the program to the efforts of the history department, he commented, “The history department has been very active in this program. This is why so many kids are showing up.” Ergueta also remarked that our school is quite unusual in terms of the ratio of women to men which compete. He estimates that at the National History Bowl tournament about 80% of participants are men, but here at WFS our teams are very much fifty-fifty men and women.

Even though WFS teams have done well regionally, and have gotten to nationals, a WFS team has never won the national tournament. The answer to this can be found in the context of our WFS history curriculum. History Bowl is about having a wide breadth of knowledge that includes specifics such as dates, names, and events. At WFS, history classes tend to go more in depth by following civilizations through the centuries and making connections between their development. Ergueta remarked, “The ideal grounding in school that a kid who is successful in history bowl would have, would be to have history taught in every grade. Early exposure to the history of many societies. Continuity of attention payed to history so that it is communicated to kids that history is central, in both the school and in the home. We tend to the cover history in terms of depth in the HL program. It mirrors the AP versus IB approach in many ways.” However, many students defend that the possibility of a national win is not what keeps them involved, instead they are drawn to the fun atmosphere of the tournament and getting to compete with friends.

Alex Patterson ’18, one of the students who made it to the national tournament, commented that he keeps participating because “history tells the most interesting stories. I wanted to participate in history bowl because it is fun to see what you know and what others know. You can put together a great team of friends and have a good time.” In the past, teams have made t-shirts and cookies for the competition day to make the most of the experience.

The history department plans to continue encouraging students of all grades to participate. They believe this truly is a great opportunity to have fun and exercise students’ history knowledge in a friendly environment. This tournament is certainly not limited to “history buffs” or experts, but instead open to anyone who has an interest and wants to see what they know. As the two teams continue on to nationals, WFS wishes them luck and that they make the most of the experience.